10 Ways to Design a Low-Tox Home
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Having a non-toxic home environment is very important to me and I am very mindful of any items that we bring in to our home. From Day 1, when we first moved into our new house in the summer of 2021, I knew I wanted to partner with my friend, Courtney, a low-toxic interior designer, to ensure that any items we brought into our home were as low-tox as they could be. She helped me by creating some mood boards and helping to recommend low-tox paint options for us to use when painting the rooms in our house. I wanted to share some of the top recommendations for designing a low-tox home that she shared with me with you today.
Top 10 Ways to Design a Low-Tox Home
1. Use safe paint
Like I mentioned above, when we moved into our new home last summer, I knew I wanted to paint the majority of the rooms and I knew I wanted to use non-toxic paint to do so. I partnered with my friend, Courtney, to help me design some mood boards for not only items to bring into the rooms but paint to use on the walls as well. You can see the mood boards and find out why non-toxic paint is so important to me in this blog post. If you’re looking to paint in your house and need some recommendations, I would look into the brands: ECOS, Clare, and The Real Milk Paint Co.
2. Buy organic/clean linens and bedding
Organic cotton sheets are better quality, safe for your skin and health, feel much better, and are a sustainable and eco-friendly choice. From the Delilah Home website (my choice for organic cotton bed sheets!): “Why Organic Cotton? You are constantly making decisions about what’s best for you and your family. From what you eat to what you wear, decisions about what our family consumes and the environments that we live and grow in are made every day. One of the most important decisions we make as parents involves our children’s ongoing health. That is why a growing number of parents are turning towards more organic standards for their kids, such as organic consumption and the use of organic cotton products. Why are Americans moving to an organic lifestyle for themselves and their families? Because research shows that organic products are healthier and safer. They do not contain the harmful toxins and chemicals that can be present in non-organic products. […] are making the decision to use 100% organic cotton textiles because of the pesticides that are used on non-organic cotton crops. Non-organic cotton crops are chemically treated with toxic pesticides, which then come in contact with our skin. The consumption of toxic pesticides can result in negative chronic health issues.”
Some certifications to look for when shopping for organic sheets: The Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS), The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), OEKO-TEX, MADE SAFE, GREENGUARD, fair trade, FLOCERT, CertiPUR-US, and eco-INSTITUT. My favorites are from Delilah Home.
3. Buy organic mattresses
See above for why organic is important to look for.
4. Shop small
Small-batch means less harm to environment, control over production processes and materials, supporting artisans and small businesses, etc.
5. Buy furniture/accessories from companies that focus on sustainability and health
Companies that focus on sustainability and health often use less chemicals and safer materials when making their items as well as follow fair trade practices.
6. Remove artificial scents
Skip the Yankee candles and Febreeze and use a diffuser/oils, clean/safer candles, or safer air fresheners instead. My favorite essential oils are Plant Therapy, dōTERRA, and Young Living and I also love the safer candle by House of Medicinals. You can read more here about why we choose to skip candles and diffuse essential oils instead.
7. Use EMF protection throughout your home and turn off Wifi at night
This has been HUGE for me. I use EMF protection from Somavedic in my car as well as in my home. (Learn more about EMF radiation and what you can do to protect yourself against it in this blog post.)
8. Add plants throughout your home
Adding plants into your home can improve air quality as well as your mood. Just make sure you choose ones that are safe for your kids and pets! (Find out more about how plants can help filter indoor air.)
9. Filter your air
This is HUGELY important to me and I’ve shared many posts on my favorite brand and why we have air purifiers in every room of our house. Find out more in these posts: the different AirDoctor sizes + what rooms they best fit, you won’t believe what’s inside my AirDoctor, and AirDoctor + wild fire season
10. Filter your water
If you’re still drinking tap water, you need to stop right now! Tap water can be laced with all sorts of chemicals and is so bad for your health. We use an AquaTru water purifier in our kitchen as well as a Crystal Quest water filter in the bathroom on our bath tub. See the AquaTru in action here and learn more about why I love it here.
I only recommend products that I truly love and use myself in my home. I do have a few discount codes to help you save some money on some of the safer swaps that I mentioned above. Shopping through my links comes at no additional cost to you, but if you choose to shop through my links, I will make a small commission.
Discount codes for products mentioned above:
AquaTru – save up to $150
AirDoctor – save up to $280
Somavedic – save 10% with code littlesouthernwife at checkout
Have you made any of these swaps in your home? Have you noticed any differences?
